Plating device



June 30, 1925.` WW

' J. J. MUELLER. JR

PLATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,Jane 3o, 19u25.

J. J. MUELLER. JR v PLATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1923 2`Sheets-Sheet 2 'mmm "bb mmemex by;

ATTUHNEYS Patented- June 30, i925.. l

UNITED STATES JOHN J'. MUELLER, JR., 0F OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.

PLATING- DEV ICE.

Application led February 1, 1923. Serial No. 616,357.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l', JOHN J. MUELLER,

Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a F resident of Ottawa, in the county-'of La Salle and State yof Illinois, have invented a new and useful improvement in Plating Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in plating devices, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

' An object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which metal plates or strips may be cleaned and plated in a continuous operation and by a single machine.

A further object of my invention is to provide, a device of the character Adescribed in which the cathode in the electroplating bath is in constant motion while receiving a deposit of metal, therefore greatly increasing the speed in which a given deposit may be made on the article or articles to be plated.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which is practically automatic in operation, and requires a minimum amountof care.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which a continuous metal strip may be cleaned and plated, and in which means is also provided for obviating the jamming of the strip which might occur by lateral motion' thereof from slight irregularities caused by warp-ageof the strip. A further object ,of my invention is to provide a device of the character described that is simple in construction, and which is thoroughly practical commercially.

Y Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention willbe particularly pointed'out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, forming part of this ap# plication, in which Figurel is a sectional view of an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a top lan view of the mechanism illustrated in igure 1,

`l `igure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the entire embodiment of my invention,

Figure it is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of my invention, y

Figure 5 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in igure 4,

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit employed in the electrically controlled straightening device shown in Figures 5 and 6, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of the conveyor belt.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a table 1 having upwardly extendin side walls 2 and partitions therein which ivide the upper surface of the table into a plurality of vats.

With reference to Figure 1, the first vat (all of the vats are rendered water-proof by a suitable process) is iilledf'with a cleaning fluid indicated at 4, the second vat 5 with a rinsing fluid, the third vat 6 with a copper plating bath, the fourth vat 7 with a rinsing fluid, the fifth vat 8 with a nickel plating bath, and the sixth vat 9 with a rinsing Huid. lt should be understood of course that if the metal is not to be nickel plated, any other plating bath, such as silver, gold, or the like, may be substituted for thel nlckel plating bath. A plurality of endless belts 10 are operatively supported upon rollers 1l so that they all move simultaneously, certain of the endless belts 10 being disposed in each of the vats, respectively. It will be seen from an inspection of Figure 2 that the arrangement of the endless belts is such that an object placed thereon will travel and be carried progressively through all of the vats containing fluids 4 to 9 inclusive. Each of the endless belts 10 is provided with upwardly extending lugs 12 at regular intervals thereon so that a plate, such as the plate 13, upon which it isl desired to deposit a plating of metal, may be carried throu h each of the fluids et to 9 progressively as t e belts are in operation. Ordinarily, l prefer to drive the belts from a central shaft, such as shown at 14:, 'and when one is driven the entire group of belts, as described, will move simultaneously.

Each of the electroplating baths 6 and 8, i. e., the cop er bath and the nickel bath, is provided wit a pair of metal rails 15 which extend longitudinally of the bath at spaced distances one from another and which are electrically connected by means of conductors 16 to the minus pole 17 of a direct current generator 18. The rails 15 are disposed very slightly above the upper portion 19 of those endless belts 12 which are disposed in the vats containing the fluids 6 and 8, re spectively, and intermediate then-belts. An inspection of Figure 2 will show that the belts are link belts and 'there are two to a section, one parallel to the other. The plates 13 therefore make sliding contact with the rails 15 as they are moved along by means of their engagement with the upwardly extending lugs 12 on the belt-s 10.l The plates 13 in this case form the cathode. The anode of the plating bath comprises a plurality of plates 20'` of the metalv that it is desired to deposit upon the plates 13. The plates 20 are electrically connected by means of conductors 21 to the positive pole 22 of' the generator 18.

-- dryer upon which the plates 13 may be delivered as they pass over the open end of the adjacent belt 10. Switches 26 are provided for controlling the electric heating unit 24 of the heater sho-uid the interior .of the heater become too hot.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. In using my device, the'plates 13 are placed upon the'adjacent conveyor belt 10, and will be moved up over their associate rollers through the vat in which the cleaning fluid lis disposed, and from thence through the vat in which the rinsing fluid 5 is disposed. The plates will then be carried from the rinsing bath to the copper plating bath 6 tothe next adjacent bath. The plates while in this bath will constitute the cathode of the 'electroplating bath and will be electrically connected to the generator 18 by means of the rails 15 upon which theplates make sliding contact as they move through the vat upon the adjacent link belt 10. The anodes of the plating bath, which in this' case are copper plates 20, are disposed directly over the plates and are connected to the positive pole of thel generator 18.

From the copper bath the plates are carried by means of the link belts 10 through the next adjacent vat containing the rinsing fiui-d and from thence into the nickel plating bath 8. Again the plates 18 are made the cathode and are in electrical connection with the generator 18 by means of the belts 10. The anodes are nickel bars,"such as the bars 20, which are electrically connected with the positive pole of the generator andA disposed directly above the plates 13. When the plates 13 have been passed through the nickel plating bath, they are carried by the conveyor belts 10 into the next adjacent bath in. which rinsing fluid is placed and from thence through the dryer 23. Thev heating coils 24 in the dryer serve to produce heat sufficient to thoroughly dry the plates which are then delivered over the remote end of the link belt 10 into a suitable tray 25.

One of the important advantages of my present device is that the actual time required to place a given deposit of metal upon the plates 13 is greatly reduced. This is caused by the fact that the plates 13' are in motion constantly while in their plating bath, and it has been found by experience that when the cathode is in motion in the bath, a deposit of metal thereon is greater in a given time.

Referring now to Figure 4, Ihave shown a modified form of my invention in which in place of employing link belts 10 for conveying the plates through the successive baths and rinsing fluids, I place metal to be plated through the device in a continuous strip. If the metal be first had in short strips, I secure the plates one to another by means of soldering, welding, or any other well known process for securing one" plate to another, without eliminating the electrical contact of one plate to another.

VIn the mechanism shown in Figure 4, I employ one or two grinding, polishing, or. bufiing devices 60, and in the present form I choose to employ two sothat the'stripis thoroughly free from any scale or` other deposit. The device 60 comprises a roller 61, a grinding polishing, or bufling wheel 62, the plate 58 being arranged to pass between t-he Wheels 62 of the roller 61. The roller 61 is driven of course by any suitable means, such as a. small electric motor or the like. It should be understood at this time thatthe strips may be run through' an elec-` trolytic cleaning Huid prior to passing through vthe polishing or buffing devices 61, but this particular preparation is not actu ally essential to the carrying out of my invention.

As the continuous strip of metal plates, which I have designated at 58, passes through the cleaning -devices 60, they pass through a pair of wiper rolls 59 which are disposed. adjacent the table 1. The contents of the vats 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 is precisely the same as that described im the pre- `ferred form of the device and the dryer 23 operatesl precisely the same as the dryer previously described. I also provide a pol-y ishmg or bufiing device 60 similar to that amaca? I previously described at the end oi the machine, i. e., that end adjacent to the dryer 28.

lt is a well known fact that metal strips, such as zinc strips fastened together in the manner l have described, may possess cer# tain irregularities brought about by warpage of the strips, and which would tend to cause the continuous strip 58 to move laterally as it passes through the machine. 'lo obviate this tendency of the strip 58 to bind in the rollers by movement laterally between the rollers 63 under'and over which the strip 58 passes as it moves through the device, lll

provide a straightening mechanism which l have illustrated in Figures 6', 7, 8, and 9. rFhis straightening mechanism comprises a l trame 64 whiclris pivotally mounted at 65 to a suitable supporting base. The frame 6d is provided with a pair of associate rollers 66. An iron armature 67 is disposed along the top portion 68 of the frame 64:, as shown in Figure 7. rlihe sup orting piece 69 is supported upon the base 0 which also serves as asupport for vthe pivotal mounting means 65, and a pair of electromagnets 71 and 72 are mounted upon the supportin strips 69. A pair of springs 73 are dispos intermediate the strips 69 and the trame 64: so that the frame 64 tends toyieldably remain in a plane parallel with the stri s 69. This straightening device is an electrically controlled device and the circuit therefor ll have illustrated in Figure 7.

With reference to Figure 7 it willbe seen that I employ a battery 74, one-pole ot which is connected to the terminals of each of the magnets 71 and 72. The other pole .is y connected to a contact member 58a which contact portions fall on either side ot the strip 58 when the strip is Yin its normal position and do not contact the strip. The contact plate 72a is connected to the opposite terminal of the magnet coil 72v and the contact7 ,1a is connected yto the opposite terminal of the magnet coil 71. 'lhe operai tion of the straightening device is as ollows. Let `us assume that the strip 58 tendsto move toward the vdirection of the arrow 75. 'lhe strip 58 will then contact the. contact member 71a andthe electromagnet 71 will become energized. As the magnet 71 becomes energized, it will draw the armature 67 thereto and the entire frame 64 will pivot upon its pivotal support in the direction oi the arrow 76. 'lhe strip 58 which is moving in the direction of the arrow 77 will thereupon be guided in the direction opposite to the arrow 75. A i

ln Figure 8 ll have shown a modified form of the conveyor belt 10 in which transverse strips '16a are supported at each end upon the parallel belts 10 and upon which the plates 13 may be placed. ln this modication of the belt, the plates 13 will notl slide directly upon the rails l5, but instead the links 1()a will contact and slide upon the rails 15 and electrical contact will be made with the plates through the links 103. This modification of mysinvention yis most important where the plates 13 are relatively thin and .are not strong enough in themselves to be supported directly upon the parallel belts 10.

l claim: l. A device` 4.of the character described com rising an electroplating bath having an ano e, means or conveying portions of a strip to be plated through said bath, and electrically controlled means for guiding said strip in a substantially straight path throughsaid. bath, said means comprising a air of rollers, a pivotally mounted frame tor rotatably supporting said rollers, said strip being arranged to pass between and engage with said rollers, and means for automatically turning the frame carrying said rollers when said strip moves of its own accord out of a straight path, whereby said strip may be restored to its proper path.

2. An electrically controlled device for guiding a strip of metal in a substantially straight path andthrough a platin bath, said device comprising a air of ro 1ers, a pivotally mounted frame or rotatably sup-A portin said rollers, said\ strip being( arrange #to pass between said rollers and engage therewith and electrically operated means ier automatically turning the frame carrying said rollers lwhen said stripmoves of its own accord, as by warpage, out of a straight path, whereby said strip may be restored to its said straight path.

Jorm J. minimun, n.

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